Improvement in health-related quality of life with fluticasone propionate compared with budesonide or beclomethasone dipropionate in adults with severe asthma

Objective: Changes in health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) were evaluated in adults with severe asthma following inhaled corticosteroid treatment with high‐dose beclomethasone dipropionate or budesonide (BDP/BUD) and compared with fluticasone propionate taken at approximately half the dose of BDP/BUD. Methodology: HRQoL was assessed as part of an open, multicentre, randomized, parallel‐group study in Australia evaluating the safety and efficacy of switching to fluticasone propionate (FP) 1000–2000 µg/day (n = 67) compared with remaining on BDP/BUD ≥1750 µg/day (n = 66) for 6 months. Patients completed two HRQoL questionnaires, the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) and the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form‐36 (SF‐36), at baseline and at weeks 12 and 24. A change in AQLQ score of ≥0.5 was considered to be clinically meaningful. Results: There were significant improvements in HRQoL with FP on four of the eight dimensions on the SF‐36 (i.e. physical functioning, general health, role‐emotional, and mental health), while there were no significant improvements in HRQoL in the BDP/BUD group. Overall, patients in the FP group experienced significantly greater improvement (P